When my distraught 15 year old daughter came home to tell me that her best friend was pregnant, my carefully planned and worded “sex talks” went out the window.  It especially changed when my 10 year old son queried…”I thought only married people were supposed to have babies??”

I suddenly became very aware what a teachable moment meant.  I was going to have to talk openly about God’s plan for sexual relationships with my 10 and 15 years old kids AT THE DINNER TABLE.  Not individually in their bedrooms like we had over the last few years at planned intervals….but right then and there.   As I prayed quickly for guidance, we started to talk about how special our bodies  were to God and that he had plans for each of us.  From that day, our discussions at the table changed.
Yes, we still chatted about the new  movie a friend recommended, and the dumb thing the boy said in Chemistry class.  But we also started to talk about how they shouldn’t let anyone touch them in a sexual way….just like we did in kindergarten.  Only this time we were talking about a boy or a girl their age.

I often wonder how many of us have missed “teachable moments”?  Those times when we suck air and our pulses start to race and in our heads we’re yelling….”NO, this is too soon….I didn’t plan for them to be exposed to this yet!!”  It is perfectly normal to want our children’s innocence to last as long as possible.  However, we can’t shelter them forever, and God does expect us to teach them His values when the opportunity presents itself.  Read Deuteronomy 11 18 and 19 to fortify your resolve to take advantage of your “table talk”.

What did you and your kids talk about last night??

Hugs!
Nancy